Is the internet destroying the current leadership models? How is innovation affecting politics? And what effect do politics have on innovation?

Do anti-innovation bills like SOPA make your blood boil? The disconnect between the innovation community and policy makers is a serious issue. Most would agree that our livelihoods depend on a healthy, dynamic and innovative economy. What opportunities are there for the innovation community to inform the political process?

Join host Seth Resler, Internet radio host and founder of The Polylogue, and a diverse panel of innovators and activists for an interactive dialog about the current state of innovation in American politics.

From the Republican Presidential Primary to the Occupy Wall Street Movement, we’ll explore game changing insights being applied to elections, government, political protest and investigate their impact on innovation in the US.

Panelists:

Dr. Nicole Velasco – Currently an Assistant Professor of International Relations and Research Methods at Lee University, Velasco is a Stanford trained Political Economist who specializes in public finance; Velasco’s research focuses on democratization and its relationship with interest group politics and power dynamics in legislative bodies.

Dr. Thomas J. Buckholtz – Volunteered in national, regional, and local roles of a successful Presidential campaign. Served in the subsequent administration of President George H.W. Bush, and later made a suggestion that led to perhaps the first US nationwide grassroots movement catalyzed by a political party’s National Committee. He brings perspective from innovations in business, government, technology, marketplace business practices, natural-resources conservation, and societal development.

Josh Abend – Trained as an architect, turned industrial designer and corporate innovation pioneer. A colleague of the original CEF, Creative Education Foundation. He has been a VP of product design for 5 divisions of a Fortune 500 company and also headed SRI’s Innovation Management Center. His current focus is on establishing professional requirements for the CIA “Corporate Innovation Architect” or Officer via his INNOVATION MASTERS® LLC program.

Peter Allen – Has worked as a Political organizer and communications strategist from the trenches of the 2008 Democratic Primary to heated battles for the City Council and County Board of Supervisors. He has spent the past few years developing a rich understanding of online social media tools and how they can be used to empower and mobilize people on behalf of a candidate, a cause, or a brand.

As we work on planning content for our upcoming monthly meetings, we would love to hear your input! If you have thoughts about speakers, topics, format, or anything else related to meeting content, email us at friends@svii.org.

Keep checking here for links to archives and summaries of past meetings. Even if you’re not based in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can receive SVII e-letters and keep up with past program discussions.

>>EMAIL US to set up a phone or Skype appointment, or for more information. We look forward to discussing how we can work with you to help you achieve extraordinary results.

Trained by the Center for Executive Coaching, which is approved by the International Coach Federation (ICF) ...and through extensive business leadership experience.

Books:

Nonfiction Business Books

AN ESSENTIAL RESOURCE—THE BEST-SELLING BOOK: A Guide to Open Innovation and Crowd Sourcing: Advice from Leading Experts, edited by Paul Sloane, with a foreword by Henry Chesbrough. (Publisher: Kogan Page, 2011.) Cathryn Hrudicka is honored to be a Contributing Author, along with a distinguished group of innovation thought leaders. *** CLICK TO ORDER it on AMAZON ***

The Age of Conversation 3: It's Time to Get Busy, published in April, 2010. Cathryn Hrudicka is a Contributing Author.